F♭ Neapolitan Major at a glance
Neapolitan major is rare but striking. It pairs a flat second and a minor third with a bright major sixth and seventh, which gives it that operatic flair. Built on the root F♭, the scale takes on the specific colour and pitch range of that key - making it especially useful in genres and registers where F♭ is a comfortable tonal centre.
| Notes | F♭ G𝄫 A𝄫 B𝄫 C♭ D♭ E♭ |
|---|---|
| Formula | 1P · 2m · 3m · 4P · 5P · 6M · 7M |
| Step pattern | H W W W W W H |
| Chords in the key | F♭mG𝄫+A𝄫+B𝄫C♭(♭5)D♭°E♭–G𝄫–B𝄫 |
Chords in the F♭ Neapolitan Major scale
These are the chords that naturally form on each degree of the scale. Click a chord to open its dedicated page.
F♭ Neapolitan Major on the piano
Improvisation drone · F♭
Loop the root note as a pad to practice improvising over this scale.
On the piano F♭ Neapolitan Major uses two black keys (D♭ and E♭) and five white. F♭, G𝄫, A𝄫, B𝄫 and C♭ are the white keys you'd normally call E, F, G, A and B.
F♭ · G𝄫 · A𝄫 · B𝄫 · C♭ · D♭ · E♭
Play F♭ Neapolitan Major on the online piano
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F♭ Neapolitan Major on the guitar
F♭ Neapolitan Major - fr 0–12
F♭ Neapolitan Major on the staff
Notes of the F♭ Neapolitan Major scale
| Degree | Note | Interval | Semitones | Hear |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | F♭ | unison1P | 0 | |
| 2 | G𝄫 | minor 2nd2m | 1 | |
| 3 | A𝄫 | minor 3rd3m | 3 | |
| 4 | B𝄫 | perfect 4th4P | 5 | |
| 5 | C♭ | perfect 5th5P | 7 | |
| 6 | D♭ | major 6th6M | 9 | |
| 7 | E♭ | major 7th7M | 11 |
What makes F♭ Neapolitan Major different
Neapolitan major, despite the name, has a minor third: it's melodic minor with a lowered second. That ♭2 is the only note separating it from melodic minor, and it sits a half step above the tonic like the Neapolitan chord of classical harmony. The upper half (5, 6, 7 and the octave) is the same as in the major scale, which is where the “major” in the name comes from. Its tonic chord is minor, while its IV and V chords are major. On F♭, F♭ Neapolitan Major has G𝄫 where F♭ Melodic Minor has G♭; every other note is shared with F♭ Melodic Minor (F♭ G♭ A𝄫 B𝄫 C♭ D♭ E♭).
How to use the F♭ Neapolitan Major scale
The diatonic chords of F♭ Neapolitan Major are: i = F♭m, II+ = G𝄫+, III+ = A𝄫+, IV = B𝄫, V♭5 = C♭(♭5), vi° = D♭°, VII = E♭–G𝄫–B𝄫. These seven chords belong naturally to the key and are the safest harmonic vocabulary when writing songs in F♭ Neapolitan Major. Each one in the chord table on this page opens its own diagram and progressions.
Neapolitan major is rare but striking. It pairs a flat second and a minor third with a bright major sixth and seventh, which gives it that operatic flair.
Practice tips
Lean on the flat second as a chromatic neighbour to the tonic - gives this scale its operatic gravitas.
Formula & step pattern
The F♭ Neapolitan Major scale follows melodic minor with a flat second, so a minor third under a major sixth and seventh. Step pattern: H - W - W - W - W - W - H. Intervals from the root: 1P · 2m · 3m · 4P · 5P · 6M · 7M. Memorising the formula lets you transpose the scale to any other root note quickly.
Where you will hear F♭ Neapolitan Major
Start with the music described above: listen for F♭ Neapolitan Major in it and transcribe a few short phrases by ear. It's the quickest way to learn how the scale sounds.
Questions people ask
What notes are in the F♭ Neapolitan Major scale?
The F♭ Neapolitan Major scale contains F♭, G𝄫, A𝄫, B𝄫, C♭, D♭ and E♭.
What is the formula for the F♭ Neapolitan Major scale?
F♭ Neapolitan Major follows melodic minor with a flat second, so a minor third under a major sixth and seventh.
Is F♭ Neapolitan Major a major or minor scale?
F♭ Neapolitan Major is a neapolitan major scale. Melodic minor with a flat second - operatic, dramatic and angular.
What chords belong to the F♭ Neapolitan Major scale?
The diatonic chords of F♭ Neapolitan Major are F♭m, G𝄫+, A𝄫+, B𝄫, C♭(♭5), D♭°, E♭–G𝄫–B𝄫.
Which genres use F♭ Neapolitan Major?
Neapolitan major is rare but striking. It pairs a flat second and a minor third with a bright major sixth and seventh, which gives it that operatic flair.
How do you play the F♭ Neapolitan Major scale on the piano?
On the piano F♭ Neapolitan Major uses two black keys (D♭ and E♭) and five white. F♭, G𝄫, A𝄫, B𝄫 and C♭ are the white keys you'd normally call E, F, G, A and B.
What is the difference between F♭ Neapolitan Major and F♭ Melodic Minor?
On F♭, F♭ Neapolitan Major has G𝄫 where F♭ Melodic Minor has G♭; every other note is shared with F♭ Melodic Minor (F♭ G♭ A𝄫 B𝄫 C♭ D♭ E♭).
How do I practise the F♭ Neapolitan Major scale?
Lean on the flat second as a chromatic neighbour to the tonic - gives this scale its operatic gravitas.